


Orsk Pride

by icandrawamoth



Category: Horrorstör - Grady Hendrix
Genre: Aromantic Character, Co-workers, Gen, Homophobia, Pre-Canon, Pride, Queerphobia, aromantic Ruth Anne, implied racism, referenced bisexual Trinity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-19 07:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29871285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icandrawamoth/pseuds/icandrawamoth
Summary: When a customer takes issue with Orsk's participation in pride month, Ruth Anne stands up for herself and it backed up by Basil.
Collections: Arospec Fanworks Week





	Orsk Pride

**Author's Note:**

> Written ages ago but posted as a late entry for Arospec Fanworks Week day five "community."

Seeing Orsk all hung with rainbows and pride banners warms Ruth Anne’s heart. Sure, it may be the company trying to seem “woke” as Amy put it just to sell more product, but the attention and information being offered still make Ruth Anne feel even more at home than usual. It’s good to know her chosen family loves and supports every part of her.

A woman rolls a loaded cart up to the checkout with a heavy sigh.

“Good afternoon,” Ruth Anne says with her usual friendliness. “Did you find everything all right?”

“It might’ve been easier if everything wasn’t buried in rainbows,” the woman grouses as she begins to transfer her smaller purchases onto the counter.

“Excuse me?”

The woman looks up. “You know, this whole pride thing. The gays are always trying to push their lifestyle on everyone else, and now they even have these big companies on their side.” She smirks. “At least you’ve got the right idea playing a trick on them. Irish flag, right?”

Confusion leaks into Ruth Anne’s anger. “What?”

“Your button.”

Ruth Anne lifts a hand to the button she’s wearing pinned to the breast of her Orsk-issued uniform shirt, seeing the dark green, lighter green, white, gray, and black stripes in her mind as she locks eyes with the customer. Ruth Anne draws herself up to her full height. She knows she’s not a very intimidating women, but it still feels good.

“This isn’t the Irish flag. This is the aromantic pride flag. Aromantic – an LGBT+ identity meaning someone who doesn't’ experience romantic attraction to anyone. _My_ identity. Making me one of those ‘gays’ you just said such awful things about. I think you need to leave, ma’am.”

“You can’t treat me like this!” the woman shrieks. “I demand to speak to your manager!”

“One moment, please,” Ruth Anne says with strained politeness. She plucks the two-way radio from her belt and speaks into it, still not looking away from the woman in front of her. “Basil, I need you at register five for a customer complaint.”

“On my way,” Basil responds, all business as usual.

The customer glares wordlessly at Ruth Anne for the entire time it takes Basil to arrive. When he does, her expression only darkens more, as if she’s as offended the manager is a young black man as she is at Ruth Anne being an LGBT+ woman.

“What can I help you with?” Basil asks her after a brief questioning look at Ruth Anne.

“This woman was aggressive with me, and she demanded I leave after I did nothing wrong!” the woman insists.

“Ruth Anne?” Basil asks.

“I did suggest that she leave,” Ruth Anne says. “But only after she expressed some extremely homophobic views while questioning Orsk’s involvement with pride activities.”

“Ma’am, Orsk has been involved with pride for years,” Basil says calmly. “If that’s a problem for you, I would humbly suggest you shop elsewhere this month if not at all times.”

The woman huffs. “If you’re going to be equally rude, I’ll call corporate.”

“This month’s activities were approved by corporate a long time ago, but I can get that number for you if you like,” Basil offers.

Ruth Anne holds back a smirk. She doesn’t doubt for a moment that he has it memorized and would happily recite it.

The woman’s mouth works for several moments, her face growing more and more red. “I can find it myself!” she finally explodes, then turns and stomps from the store.

“Not sorry to see her go,” Basil mumbles under his breath, just loud enough for Ruth Anne to hear.

Everyone in the vicinity who had stopped what they were doing to watch the exchange, including a small band of rubberneckers who had followed Basil in and stopped at the door, clearly agree. Trinity yells from among them, her hair, giant with the extensions she’s added to turn it into a blue, purple, and pink bisexual pride flag, flying, “Yeah, queerphobes can fuck off!”

“Language,” Basil says primly but doesn’t argue the spirit of the comment. “Now, back to work, everyone.” When they comply, he turns to Ruth Anne and asks, “Are you okay?”

She nods. “Thank you, Basil.”

He smiles at her. “I’m here to protect my workers always. Especially when it comes to this. Now, if you’ll please put these things back in the cart, I’ll send someone from the warehouse to reshelve.”

Ruth Anne nods and gets to work. As soon as he’s out of earshot, she murmurs to herself, grinning, “Queerphobes can fuck off.”


End file.
